New Showbiz

You are here:
Do You Hear the Dogs Barking?

Do You Hear the Dogs Barking?

1974

Director

François Reichenbach

Runtime

82 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Carrying his son on his back, a man travels from place to place looking for a doctor to treat the sick boy. As they journey, the indio father tells the boy stories to keep him distracted. These stories reveal the life of native peoples in Mexico, both in the countryside and in cities, and they shed light on characteristic beliefs and rituals.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.2/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film centers on a traditional paternal bond between an indigenous man and his son. There are no visible queer narratives or non-cisnormative identities present in the story.

Gender Representation

Fair

The narrative is driven by a male protagonist and his son. It lacks female characters or the subversion of gendered roles required to move beyond a singular masculine focus.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film provides high intentionality by centering an indigenous father and the lives of native peoples in Mexico. This approach disrupts Eurocentric cinematic gazes through authentic cultural storytelling.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

Indigenous belief systems, rituals, and localized knowledge drive the narrative. The film prioritizes ancestral wisdom over Western institutional solutions, offering a critique of systemic neglect.

Disability Representation

Fair

The plot is motivated by a sick child, placing medical vulnerability at the heart of the journey. The film highlights the lived reality of illness within marginalized communities.

Strengths

  • Strong emphasis on indigenous agency and Mexican native cultures.
  • Effective use of traditional storytelling to drive the narrative.
  • Challenges Eurocentric perspectives by prioritizing localized knowledge and rituals.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of female characters or diverse gendered roles.
  • Absence of LGBTQ+ representation or non-cisnormative narratives.
  • Limited scope regarding gender diversity within the central character arc.

AI Analysis

The film excels in its commitment to centering indigenous voices and deconstructing Western-centric cinematic tropes. By using native storytelling as a primary narrative device, it grants significant agency to Mexican native peoples and their cultural specificities. However, the film's scope is narrow regarding gender and sexual diversity. The focus remains almost exclusively on a masculine journey of caretaking, lacking female presence or queer representation. Ultimately, the work serves as a meaningful counter-narrative to dominant cultural tropes of its era, prioritizing the lived experiences of marginalized populations through an observational lens.

How are these scores produced? →

Similar Movies

Movie poster for Cartas a Elena

Cartas a Elena

2012

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 6.4 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.